The New One Loves You Too
by nierest
Summary: A simple lapse in judgement causes your favourite blade to land in enemy hands. Once 9S finds out, he decides to help you get it back, and you decide to answer some of his burning questions. (Fem)reader x 9S.


-Neko_Otaku-: May I request a 9s x Reader?

Thank you!

Trying to practice writing more romantic kind of things, which idk if you've noticed I'm not the best at (-": Not too sure about how I write 9S, but I tried to write him as bet as I coulddddd

* * *

The war between androids and machines was beginning to get serious. Not a day went by when there would be no YoRHa androids stationed at the Resistance Camp, and not a day went by when you wouldn't be stuck doing potentially fatal missions for the Resistance, either. You put that on yourself after seeing everything the YoRHa androids go through, though—life-threatening fetch missions for essential materials as well as machine-hunting chores, on top of all the missions they already received from the YoRHa Commander. Your resistance peers would allow the soldiers to do all the dirty work, insisting that it was their 'job' or 'purpose' to do all the hard work. Yet despite their reasoning, you took it upon yourself to help them out whenever you could. And now that the war was beginning to heat up, there were even more YoRHa units too busy to complete all their tasks on time. They needed you now more than ever, you would tell yourself, and that was how you ended up in the situation you were in now.

You were cornered by two Goliath-classed bipedal machines, your shaky fingers gripping your Type-3 Blade tightly in hopes of steadying yourself. You had to concentrate on the two Goliaths in front of you, or you would die. Who knew searching for complex gadgets could get you into this much trouble? You weren't as strong, fast or as smart as any YoRHa unit, and your lack of combat experience compared to those who frequently dealt with the machine lifeforms was near laughable. You were in trouble, and as a Resistance android, you had no back-up or space bunker to save you from death. So, there you were, waiting for the Goliaths before you to make the first move.

You lowered your sword, plow guard, ready for your enemies to make their first move. The bipedal unit to your left's eyes flashed red for a brief second, before raising its colossal arm. Quickly, mimicking the YoRHa androids you see fight so much, you lunged forward, aiming for the machine's side. You managed to slash at it four or five times before leaping to your right, narrowly escaping the crushing arm of the Goliath. Without warning, the other biped's limbs planted themselves into the ground, it's eyes flashing red before launching a barrage of energy-ball projectiles, catching you by surprise. Yet still you deftly dodged, slashing at the spheres of energy with you Type-3 Blade whenever you hadn't the time nor space to sidestep. The first Goliath began to swing both arms wildly, ploughing through the air in front of it and making its way towards you. You swore under your breath, finding it difficult to keep both eyes on each of the Goliaths. You jumped rearwards before you were met with a cold, concrete wall against your back. You clenched the hilt of your blade tightly, cutting through the machine lifeform's projectiles before they could hit you front-on. The other biped was still marching towards you, occasionally flicking up soil and clumps of grass in your direction. Keeping your focus on the waves of energy being emitted in your direction, your E/C optics scanned the area in front of you for a gap that could serve as a break past the machine lifeform duo.

Then, you saw it—in between both bipeds was a small space, and beyond that, grassy plains. Next to the firing biped's foot lay a small pile of complex gadgets—the incredibly rare material that you knew the YoRHa units needed for weapon upgrades. If you were fast enough, you could sprint between them _and_ snatch the gadgets without getting clipped by either the first Goliath's fists, or the second's missiles. You gulped, breaths becoming heavier with every swing of your sword, before you realised the gap was becoming smaller the closer the first biped came. With one final strike, you decided it was time to put your plan into action. Lowering your body close to the ground, you dug your heels deep into the soil, taking off as fast as you could.

Energy bubbles swept against your H/L, H/C hair and desperately tried to cut it, but you were much too fast to be struck by the deadly orbs. You could hear the whirring of the left-most Goliath's arms, feel the gale force that whipped at your body from the sheer speed its limbs were chopping at, and you could feel your pulse racing in fear and overexertion. Suddenly, you brought your legs forward, sliding through the dirt and narrowly escaping the arms and projectiles from both machines. With that slide, you quickly brought your hand out towards the right-most Goliath's foot, grabbing as many complex gadgets as your hands could hold. As soon as you were in the clear, you stuffed the gadgets into your pouch and flipped yourself back onto your feet, not looking back as you fled from the two colossal machines at your rear. You found yourself smiling widely, even as your legs ached and your body yearned for oxygen. Looking over your shoulder, you noticed the two Goliaths fading into the background, before they failed to acknowledge you completely.

"Yes!" You shouted triumphantly, startling a few moose and boars as they saw you run towards the Resistance Camp. You jumped and leapt through the air, raising both arms up in pure happiness. That was your biggest mistake of the day, as your Type-3 Blade slipped out of your grasp and flew behind you. You let out a quick yelp and quickly came to a halt, turning behind you to grab the sword before any machine lifeforms could get their hands on it.

Your 'heart' was throbbing, lifeblood roaring in your ears as alarms went off in your head; it had landed right at the feet of a medium biped. Tilting its spherical head, eyes a peaceful yellow, it plucked the sword from its resting place and weighed it in its swollen arms. You watched, stance defensive, E/C eyes squinted in scrutiny against the machine lifeform in front of you. After the biped was finished studying the Type-3 Blade, its yellow, beady eyes looked up to see you, posture rigid and on guard. Immediately its eyes flashed red, and it began to charge. You were taken aback and stepped to the side, narrowly escaping a one-hit knock out. You would fight back with your bear hands, but you knew the sword was the only weapon you could actually wield properly, and your fists held little power. Clenching your teeth, you fled, frustrated at yourself for losing your most trusted weapon to a simple biped.

* * *

Once you arrived back at camp, you scanned the vicinity for the YoRHa androids you had brought the complex gadgets for. Your favourite androids should be around camp, but you couldn't see them anywhere. You decided the best person to inquire about their whereabouts was Anemone, so you decided to approach her. Once she saw you, a small smile graced her tan features.

"Ah, Y/N. You're back," She addressed, folding her arms over her chest, "did you retrieve the necessary materials?" She queried, tilting her head to the left.

"Yes. Now I just need to find the necessary androids," You chuckled, rubbing the back of your neck absently, "do you know where Nine—9S and 2B went?" The Resistance leader rose a gloved hand to her chin for a moment, flicking through her memories to try and recall where the two units could have possibly gone.

"They've been sent on a mission somewhere in the forest zone. They should be back soon, though." Anemone reassured, shrugging her dark cloak over her shoulders.

"Oh, is that so?" You asked, mainly to yourself, "I guess I'll wait around here for a bit, then. Unless if there are any other androids that need help?" You questioned, not wanting to stand idly by when everyone else was busy with war prep. The dark-haired Resistance leader simply shrugged, leaning on her right leg.

"Try asking around. There might be a pair of YoRHa androids resting in the bedrooms." Anemone suggested. You nodded your head, gripping onto the pouch you had slung across your chest.

"Right, will do. Thanks a lot, Anemone." You spoke, dipping your head in a slight bow.

"Not a problem, Y/N. Oh, and if you can't find anyone, Devola and Popola would probably have some work for you as well." She spoke, nodding her head in the twin androids' direction.

You looked at the two redheads, sitting on their own respective chairs, tinkering with some machine parts and talking amongst each other. You knew why Anemone recommended them as an 'if only' suggestion— they were not to be associated with unless necessary. It was their fault humanity was forced to flee to the moon. Their punishment for it was getting the most dangerous and tedious tasks of all, even though their models were not suited to it.

The Devola and Popola models were old—over a thousand years old—meaning they were an ancient model that had existed long before combat units were even a concept. As such, they were ill-suited to most jobs presented to them. As such, they needed all the help they could get. You sent a smile and a nod Anemone's way, before heading towards the twin androids. Both looked up, eyes squinted in suspicion, as you waved your hand at them and shot them your signature grin. You opened your mouth to ask if they needed anything, but was quickly interrupted by a familiar voice coming from over your shoulder.

"Y/N?" You instantly turned around at your name, and was met with a familiar android. Her hair sat in a short, silver bob, eyes covered by a pitch-black visor, a small mole sat proudly by her lower lip. Her short combat dress and tall heels were unique compared to most other androids, telling everyone that she was a YoRHa battler model. Your eyes sparkled at the sight of her, in complete awe of the picture of perfection in front of you. You would never admit it, but she acted as a kind of role model for you. It was none other than 2B, the perfectly emotionless and proficient android that took on so many jobs around camp, and out of it. You helped her and her partner more than most other YoRHa pairs, which meant you two had grown close. Maybe even friends, at least in your eyes.

"2B!" You cheered, turning your back on the twins and quickly running to the YoRHa unit. "What's up? I got the materials you two wanted." You spoke, flipping your H/C hair over your shoulder.

"Good." She spoke, peering at you from behind her blindfold. She kept a watchful eye as you scrambled to take out the four complex gadgets from your chest-pouch. You handed them to her, earning a grateful nod in response. "This is the first time I've seen that pouch on you. Does it belong to 9S?" She queried, arms poised loosely by her sides. The question caught you off guard, as 2B was never really the type for small talk. You let out a nervous chuckle, raising your hand to your chin.

"Um... kind of. He gave it to me, saying it was from one of his previous bodies." You answered, clasping both hands in front of you. "I was telling him how much of a hassle it was to just carry everything by hand, and no one else really had any resources to spare, so I couldn't make a bag of my own. Then Nines gave me his old pouch as a present."

"'Nines'?" 2B repeated, tilting her head to the side. You nodded, H/L, H/C locks bobbing as you did so.

"Yeah. He told me that's what everyone on the Bunker calls him, so I asked if I could, too. He was really happy—er, I mean," You fumbled with your fingers, E/C eyes darting back and forth, "emotions are prohibited for you YoRHas, right? So, I guess he wasn't happy, but apathetic! Yeah, no emotion." You spoke, trying to cover up what you had said previously. 2B let out a small 'huh', before turning her head to look at the Resistance leader.

"I need to talk to Anemone. So long, Y/N." She spoke, waving her hand in dismissal and turning to leave.

"Oh, hold up! Do you know where Nines is?" You queried, leaning over to look her in the face. The combat android simply shrugged before pointing beyond you, towards the bedrooms.

"He's resting," 2B simply replied before tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, "but I'm sure he wouldn't mind having your company." You could have sworn she had the tiniest ghost of a smile, but it disappeared soon after you saw it.

"Right. Thanks, 2B!" You spoke, and she gave one last nod before walking towards the desk Anemone stood in front of. You gripped your pouch tightly, a little smile creeping onto your lips. Seeing 9S always gave you so much energy, and so much happiness. He was different from all the other YoRHa androids, but maybe that was due to the fact that he was the only scanner you really knew. All the battle and defender androids you knew were normally uptight or not completely sane, and you hadn't seen a healer type in a long time. 9S was the only scanner you became friends with, and you were glad. He really did brighten up your day—no, your life.

You knocked on the cold, steel door to the Resistance Camp's bedrooms, and was met with a familiar voice on the other side.

"Come in." The young voice called, and you immediately swung the door open.

The loud _bang_ of the heavy door hitting the wall made the young android inside whip his head around in shock, letting out a small yelp in the process. His neat, snow-white locks were not quite as neat as they usually were, most likely due to being startled by you. He hid his eyes behind a visor of his own, and he covered that visor with his arm, as if he were waiting to defend from an enemy attack. His short, combat-trench coat suited him perfectly, also giving away his position as a scanner type. Despite the fact that he was a YoRHa android, he seemed to be startled easily, at least by steel doors hitting concrete walls. You stood in the doorway, and in front of you sat 9S, sitting straight up in bed with a flustered expression and posture.

"Nines!" You shouted, running up to stand in front of him. The small android quickly regained his composure, shoving his gloved hands in his lap as he leaned forward over the bed.

"O-oh, Y/N! You don't need to knock, you know? Or slam the door like that..." He spoke, expression serious. You laughed, combing through your H/L hair with your S/C hand.

"Sorry, sorry. It just feels like I haven't seen you in so long! How have you been? What have you been doing?" You queried, taking your place next to him on the bed. He shifted to the side, biting his lip. The top half of his face was hidden, so it was difficult to tell what he was thinking behind his mask. Something told you he was feeling uncomfortable, but you decided to push that thought aside.

"I've just been exterminating machine lifeforms, nothing unusual." He responded, staring into his hands. He was being less talkative than normal, and you could tell something was bothering him.

"Oh, yeah? Just another day in the action-packed life of Nines, huh?" You chuckled, leaning back on your palms. Your eyes trailed from the pristine sheets to the weapon sheathed at 9S' back. They were combat bracers that stood out from the rest of his arsenal—they were shaped like ancient helmets, both sharing white accents and menacing expressions. They emitted a sinister aura, or at least a dangerous one. "Where did you find those?"

"You mean my bracers?" He asked, and you nodded. "I found them in the forest zone. I think they're called Virtuous Grief," he answered, and you stroked one of the bracers with your hand. "2B and I found it sealed in a shrine. It was difficult to get to it, but it looks cool, so I guess it was worth it." You tilted your head, furrowing your brows. You sat up straight before leaning over the bed, craning your neck to get a good look at 9S' face. He refused to meet your gaze.

"Nines, is something wrong?" You asked. The white-haired android scratched the back of his neck and looked up to the ceiling, trying to look anywhere but at you.

"What do you mean?" He asked, voice awkward and uncomfortable. You sighed, averting your gaze to the door in front of you.

"Normally you'd be telling me all about the weapon's lore, what you went through to find it, and how you found it." You sighed, resting your elbows on your lap and your head in your palms, "You know, if something's on your mind, you can tell me. I'm always willing to help." Now that you were looking away from him, you could feel his gaze on you, examining you from behind his pitch black visor. You let him look, a happy feeling swirling in your stomach at the thought of him gazing at you.

"It's nothing, Y/N. Don't worry about it. More importantly," you felt the YoRHa unit's eyes shift from your face to your back, "where's your sword? You usually have that Type-3 Blade by your side at all times, don't you? I think this is the first time I've actually seen you unarmed." You visibly flinched at his comment, and got up from the bed, back facing him.

"I—uh... I might have... misplaced it." You giggled nervously, looking down at the ground.

"Do you want me to help you find it?" The scanner queried, speaking almost too quickly. He brought himself forward, eager to help you in whatever way he could. You looked up to the ceiling, busying your eyes with anything that wasn't 9S.

"I'm afraid it's out of our reach now..." You spoke nervously, fiddling with your fingers. You were too embarrassed to tell him what happened, but 9S was determined to find out.

"What do you mean, 'out of our reach'? If it's in an unexplored area, I'd be glad to help. Scanning ahead is kind of my job, after all." He reasoned, his usual friendliness crawling back into his voice. "Not to mention, you help out 2B and I all the time. I'd be glad to return the favour for once."

"Oh, Nines, I really don't want to bother you with my problems. You and the other androids have enough on your plates already. I couldn't possibly—" You were cut off when you felt his gloved hand on the back of your shoulder, and you visibly tensed at his touch. Even the fact that he made contact with you made you want to wriggle in happiness, but you kept that contained.

"Seriously, Y/N. Tell me what happened. You deserve to be the one receiving help this time." You turned to meet his visor, and he could have sworn you were looking right into his eyes. It both fascinated and flustered him to even think of that.

"Right... Except that, well..." You started to doubt whether or not you should tell him what happened, or to just refuse his help outright. But his fingers gripping onto your shoulder assured you that he would assist you, no matter what reason. "Just promise not to tell anyone what I'm about to tell you, ok?"

"Uh... ok, sure. I won't tell anyone. Just what is this all about, Y/N?" He pressed, withdrawing his hand and letting it rest by his side. You sighed, scratching your cheek absentmindedly.

"Well... It may or may not be in the hands of a medium sized bipedal machine lifeform." You spoke, looking up to try and avoid 9S' stare. Words could not explain the shame you felt—letting your number one weapon fall into the hands of the enemy? Who even does that? 9S cupped his chin with a single hand, taking in what you had said.

"I see. Wait, your Type-3 Blade is fully upgraded, isn't it?" He queried, voice beginning to get more and more nervous the more he spoke. You nodded your head, E/C optics looking everywhere but at him. "Y/N, that could be dangerous! Even a medium biped can pose a threat with a weapon as strong as yours." He scolded, and you grimaced.

"Yeah, yeah, I know that! It was an accident. I would have fought back, but we all know I'm no good at throwing punches..." You muttered, clasping your hands over your chest. "Just please don't tell 2B, ok? I don't want her to be disappointed in me." 9S sighed at your request, rubbing the back of his head with his gloved hand.

"Ok, I won't tell her. I know what it's like to try and live up to her expectations..." He mumbled, before once more turning to you. "Y/N, let's go get your sword back. Everyone thinks I'm resting, so if we leave now, no one should come after us." You nodded your head firmly, letting your H/C locks fall over your E/C eyes. "In the meantime, would you be able to use this? It's only been upgraded twice, but I think you'll be able to use it to its full potential." The scanner spoke, conjuring a flashy looking two-handed sword from seemingly nothing.

"Oh, thanks. What's this one called?" You asked, accepting it and weighing the weapon in your palms. It was golden, a proud bird spreading its wings by the base of the blade. It was, without a doubt, beautiful.

"It's called the Phoenix Sword. It's said to have been made from the plumes of a legendary bird, the phoenix. It's a part of a set, but seeing as you're more skilled with a great sword than anything else, I figured this would be more appropriate for you." He replied, and your eyes began to shine with admiration towards the young android. You were honestly astounded that he remembered your preferred weapon type, and astounded by the fact that he lent you one with such rare makings. You weighed the majestic blade in your palms, marvelling at the craftsmanship and overall appearance. 9S watched you, his heart fluttering at the sight of you being so excited by a simple sword. It was little things like this that he appreciated the most about you.

"No way, Nines... you remembered what kind of weapon's my favourite?" You spoke, clutching the sword tightly to your chest. His face immediately reddened, and he became uncharacteristically flustered.

"It's nothing! I'm a scanner model, you know? It's my job to observe you. And you've always got a great sword strapped to your back, so..." He argued, hoping you would just drop the topic, but you had other plans in mind.

"Oh, you observe me?" You teased, giggling into your palm. The black-clothed android let out a frustrated groan and shrugged his shoulders, deciding not to grace that question with an answer. How is it that you always manage to fluster him like that? That was what he always thought whenever you did so.

"I—ugh, let's just get going, Y/N." He spoke, cutting the conversation short as he brushed past you. You watched him open the door for you, and you followed him outside, letting him shut the door behind you.

You had to admit, the bond you had with 9S was special. You were the only one who managed to get on his nerves like that. According to your own observations, he was normally the one getting on other people's nerves. Of course, you couldn't understand why 9S' topics would threaten other androids' patience, as you were quite a fan of his vocal nature and his unending questions. 9S' curious nature was one of the things you admired about him, after all; you loved hearing about his stories, theories and his adventures with 2B. Friendly teasing was definitely one of your favourite things to do with him, though.

You both made your way out of the Resistance Camp, being sure to avoid the pristine sight of 2B. Sneaking out on its own was exciting for you, and keeping out of 2B's viewpoint was an added challenge that just multiplied the adrenaline for you. You ducked behind fellow Resistance androids, earning strange glances and more attention than you had wanted. At least it worked in your favour—you were creating so much of a disturbance that no one had noticed 9S walk straight out of the camp. Once he was past the final building, you ceased your antics and bid farewell to the Strange Resistance Woman and Man before slipping away behind him.

* * *

"Are you sure this is the last place you saw it?" 9S queried, squatting down with a hand above his visor, keeping the sunlight out of his vision. You let out a small 'mhmm', holding your new blade by your side, ready to swing it at any machine that got too close. 9S let out a sigh, the sight of you being so on guard only putting him on edge. He stood up and turned around to meet your face, and your eyes immediately met his. "You don't need to be on guard, you know. I may be a scanner unit, but I can fight off a biped or two." You sighed before sheathing your sword, feeling the weight of it press against your back.

"Right... Sorry. It was just that the last time I let my guard down, I ended up being completely cornered by a couple of Goliaths and—wait, why am I telling you this?" You groaned, ruffling your H/L, H/C hair. You had no idea why you let that slip; the last thing you wanted to do was let 9S know just how weak you really were. Yet you had instead gained his interest, not pity.

"I suppose I have that kind of effect on people. Anyway, you were cornered by a 'couple of Goliaths'? When was this?" He queried, his natural scanner curiosity shining through. You didn't see the harm of continuing with what you were going to say anyway, throwing all pride out the window at this point.

"Oh, just before I lost my Type-3 Blade to that medium biped. It was for those complex gadgets you and 2B wanted." You answered, walking away from 9S to look for any signs of the machine lifeform that took your sword, "I dropped my weapon when I was trying to run away from them, but that stupid machine ended up picking it up instead." You explained, looking at the small stubby machines that littered the grassy field around you. Honestly, you felt like taking your anger out on them, but you refrained yourself. You didn't want 9S to think you were an easily angered person, after all.

"Y/N, you shouldn't put yourself into situations like that." 9S scolded, yet his voice was wracked with worry. "You're not YoRHa—once you die, you die for good. That's it. I understand you're only trying to lighten the load, but please leave machine extermination up to us. You're not even a combat unit, and most other Resistance members have better strength than you. Why not just leave it up to them?" He proposed, all in goodwill, yet you were annoyed. He wasn't a combat unit either, yet he put himself in danger all the time. It was utter hypocrisy, yet you kept your voice light and fluffy as you retorted his 'suggestion'.

"Seriously, dude? Isn't this the same stuff the people at YoRHa tell you all the time? 'You're not suited to combat, so stay out of it!' or 'leave it up to the tough guys!'. I'm sure you're sick of hearing all that shit as much as me, right?" You protested, keeping your voice friendly and upbeat. Honestly, having 9S worry about you only made you frustrated. He was a scanner unit; so why would he be worrying about _you_? It should be you worrying about _him_.

"Shit...?" He muttered, surprised at hearing the word. Most androids he spoke to were formal, so it was kind of refreshing to hear such a word. "Ok, Y/N, you have a point. I just worry about you, that's all." Hearing those words coming from his mouth just annoyed you more, but you controlled your tone.

"Yeah, well, don't. It's fine. _I'm_ fine. Let's just find this stupid machine already." It took all you could not to let your frustration seep into your voice.

"Yeah, yeah—hold on. Is that it?" 9S queried, earning your attention. He pointed a single finger in front of him, and you moved to his side to get a better view of what had caught his eye.

"What's 'it'?" You asked, turning your head to look in the direction he was pointing.

"The machine. That's definitely your Type-3 Blade, isn't it?" He asked, summoning forth his combat braces.

"Yeah. Let's beat it up!" You cheered eagerly, unsheathing the Phoenix Sword from its case. The scanner by your side nodded his head once, and began addressing his pod.

"Pod 153, that's definitely the sword we're after, isn't it?" He queried, staying behind as he watched you charge towards the enemy.

"Pod 153 to unit 9S: Correct." Pod 153 spoke, voice feminine yet robotic at the same time. You wondered why his pod had remained silent this whole time, but decided to focus on the matter right in front of you instead; getting your precious blade back from the machine lifeform scum that took it from you.

* * *

The second it noticed you its eyes sparked from pale yellow to red, letting you know you were in its sights. The machine that was once peacefully strolling the city ruins quickly transformed into battle mode, gripping your precious blade in an offensive stance. This only got on your nerves more, and you gritted your teeth in frustration. How dare that machine think it worthy to hold your blade? To wield it? To attack you with it? You sped up, pure anger fuelling your movements, and you swung your Phoenix Sword with all the strength you possessed. It blew the machine back a few metres, successfully making it fall over.

You could hear the whizzing of missiles behind you, and stood still in awe as the small bombs made their way to the stunned medium biped in front of you, bringing forth large plumes of smoke as it made contact with the confused biped. You turned around and saw 9S, firing his pod at your enemy from a distance.

"I really don't want to get in the way of your attacks, so I'll support you from the rear. Go berserk!" He shouted, and you eagerly nodded your head. You were glad 9S was out of the way—it was one less thing to worry about. Besides, you were better at facing your opponents by yourself than with a partner. A frown returned to your delicate face as you looked at the machine lifeform and you charged once more, just as the medium biped was getting back up on its feet.

You swung the Phoenix Sword again, making contact with the machine's torso. You got about three strikes in before the machine swung the blade it held, which you just barely managed to dodge. It cut about an inch of your H/L hair off, leaving it to soar through the air. If you didn't look mad, you definitely did now. You were thankful that 9S was at your back and not by your side—you would hate for him to see such a grotesque expression on your face. You continued to dodge the biped's relentless attacks, studying its combo as it did so. _Downwards slash, leftwards slash, rightwards slash, downwards slash, break. Downwards slash, leftwards slash, rightwards slash, downwards slash, break_. Strangely enough, that was all the machine lifeform seemed to do. Mayhap it was because the machines in the city ruins did not commonly wield weapons, and it wasn't used to the weight of the Type-3 Blade? Either way, it worked out in your favour. Once there was an opening, you let loose your own flurry of attacks. Pod 153 created plenty of extra openings for you as well, and you found your rage lifting and being replaced by joy at the sight of the machine in front of you being torn to shreds. With the help of 9S, the biped didn't stand a chance.

* * *

You only stopped slicing at the machine once you realised 9S had stopped firing, which might have been a few minutes. Your H/L hair clung to your forehead, perspiration heavy. You stood, hunched over its garbled form, breathing in massive pants. You had worn yourself out; not from the fight itself, but from stabbing the biped so many times after the battle was done. You stood up straight, sheathing the Phoenix Sword in its place on your back, before prying the Type-3 Blade out of the machine's cold, dead fingers. You were no 2B when it came to battle, but you were no pushover either. You stretched your limbs before turning around to look at 9S, who was standing in complete astonishment. Not wanting to address the fact that you lost your mind a little, you decided to bring up the sword he had lent you instead.

"I guess this means you'll be needing this back." You spoke, swapping your Phoenix Sword for the Type-3 Blade you just fought for. 9S shook his head and raised his palm in response.

"You can keep it." The YoRHa unit spoke, pushing the weapon back into your palms, "Us YoRHa androids normally have two weapon sets equipped. Maybe you'd be able to handle two sets yourself?" He proposed, acting as if what had happened didn't actually happen. You were glad—you were kind of embarrassed he caught you so full of rage.

"You always give me presents, Nines. I seriously need to return that favour one day!" You grinned, no real meaning behind your words. Yet 9S' reaction was unusual. He appeared surprised, then lost in thought. "Nines? Something the matter?" You asked, bending over to rest your hands on your knees, still tired from overexerting yourself.

"I... always give you presents?" The silver-haired scanner repeated, stroking his chin. You tilted your head slightly, confused at the question. Of _course_ he gave you presents. How could he have forgotten? It was a cute little thing you two had going on; you'd help him out however and whenever you could, and he would reward you with little trinkets and helpful items. The fact that he had forgotten almost offended you.

"Of course. You even gave me this, remember?" You asked, trying to jog his memory. You slung your small pouch off and held it in your hands, showing it to the scanner. He let out an uneasy laugh, and his posture instantly became awkward.

"Sorry, my memory's a little fuzzy... I don't think I backed up my memory in time." He responded, clasping his hands in front of him. You were confused. Slinging your pouch back over your shoulder, you decided to address the issue.

"'Backed up your memory in time'? Nines, don't tell me..." You trailed off, not wanting your suspicions to be confirmed.

"Oh, yeah. I suppose I died not too long ago, in the Forest Kingdom." He spoke, looking up at your worried expression. He instantly put on a reassuring smile, not wanting you to worry about him. "It's ok, really! I mean, I still remember you. I've still got most of the previous body's feelings and stuff, too, so nothing much has changed."

"I know... it's just weird to think about. Like I'm not really speaking to the same person." You confessed, not even thinking about whether the new 9S would find that comment offensive or not. He decided to ignore the comment anyway, and instead decided to get you to fill in the gaps of his memory for him.

"Hey, Y/N." He started, grabbing your attention once more. You straightened up, arms loose by your sides.

"Yes?" You responded, surprised at the sudden mention of your name.

"Um... This might be a weird question, but," 9S spoke, becoming more and more unsure of himself as he continued, "what, uh, were we? Relationship wise."

"What do you mean?" You queried, trying to shove both the Type-3 Blade and Phoenix Sword into the one sheath. 9S suddenly became flustered, scratching at his cheek absently. He really didn't want to ask directly, his inner shyness creeping out from underneath the curious outer-self.

"Like... were we friends, or something more, or something less?" The light-haired scanner spoke, looking into your E/C eyes. You were caught off guard by these questions. Where in the world did they come from? You let out a loud laugh, catching him by surprise. "H-hey, what's so funny?"

"Is this why you were acting fishy in the bedroom before?" You asked, a smug smile plastered across your face. He took a step back, not taking your teasing kindly.

"Well... I mean... yes. Can you blame me?" He huffed, embarrassed at his own inability to remember anything correctly, "I can remember you, but I can't remember _us_ , or what we did. I just know you, Y/N. Nothing more. And I'd like to know more."

"So you're curious?" You pressed, leaning over with your hands behind your back. 9S nodded.

"I'm curious. And serious." He answered, gaze unwavering.

"Ok, then! I'll answer." You started, grabbing his wrist. He was taken aback, a quick gasp escaped his lips as proof. "What were we... hmm..." You spoke to yourself in mock thought, leaving the boy to wait impatiently for your answer. He desperately wanted to know if his past body's feelings had been reciprocated, or if this was some stupid feeling that the past him was too scared to act on. You slowly slid your hand down from his wrist and into his palm, before intertwining your fingers with his. To him, that was a good enough answer. It had to be more than friends, right? You could feel him tense beneath your fingers, and you let out a merciless chuckle. "We were friends!" You cheered, earning a confused look from the android next to you. That wasn't what he was expecting.

"Are you sure?" The YoRHa unit inquired, staring down at the interlocked hands.

"What do you mean, 'are you sure'? What else could we have been?" You pushed, wanting an answer to his strange behaviour. He was once again taken aback, and once again did not want to tell you what he had on his mind.

"Well, judging from the previous body's memories, I'm not so sure you're telling the truth." He continued, wanting an answer of his own. You detangled your fingers from his, much to his dismay, and began walking ahead of him.

"I'm not sure it's a good idea to just sit and chat in the open," You observed, craning your neck to look over your shoulder, "so how about we talk about this at a safer place?" You suggested, shrugging your H/C hair over your shoulders. 9S nodded once before following in your footsteps. "I think the Amusement Park would be pretty safe."

"Oh, yeah. Will you be ok getting there, though?" 9S asked, genuinely curious. You grit your teeth before throwing your head up to look at the sky, annoyed by his doubt in your capabilities.

"Hey, just because I'm not YoRHa doesn't mean I'm completely useless! Us Resistance 'droids are capable of looking out for ourselves." You pouted, walking faster through the collapsed buildings. 9S was a little relieved to have the topic changed, if only for a short while.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's just get to the Amusement Park so you can answer my questions." 9S spoke, dropping the conversation. He eventually caught up to you and matched your pace with ease, and you both walked towards your destination in silence. You and 9S were about halfway there when a brilliant idea popped up in your head.

"Hey, why don't we race?" You proposed, dropping your walking speed to a more leisurely pace.

"Sure. It's not every day I get to run against a Resistance android, after all. I wonder if you're as fast as 2B?" He spoke, mainly to himself. You were taken aback, and dramatically held your hand over your chest in fake-hurt.

"D-don't compare me to 2B! She's a beast when it comes to strength and speed. Not to mention, she's really great wife material..." You mumbled to yourself, yet your words were heard by the scanner at your side. He let out a small laugh, catching you off guard.

"'Really great wife material', huh? I didn't know you liked her so much." You instantly blushed, finding yourself more flustered than usual. He got the complete wrong idea.

"I-I don't mean for me! I mean in general! I'm sure any guy would be happy to have her." You protested, trying your hardest to keep your calm.

"Oh? Sounds like someone's jealous. Are you scared someone's going to snatch your precious 2B away?" 9S teased, happy that he was the one on the giving end of the teasing and not the receiving one.

"Dude, no! I don't like her like that!" You huffed, crossing your arms. "Anyway, she's not the one I like." You admitted, which only made 9S' face freeze. He had to think about what you had said for a minute. You liked someone. Why would you tell him that? It didn't make sense. Anyhow, this was the one thing he absolutely was _not_ curious about, especially because it didn't look like the object of your fascination was him.

"So you do like someone, huh?" 9S said, his tone dejected. Yet still your face was red, and you quickly hid behind your standard Resistance member's hood.

"What the hell's up with that tone? Anyway, are we going to race or not?" You asked, voice slowly returning to the cheerful tone it normally was. "I can't wait to see you eat my feet!"

"All of the time I've spent running after 2B has prepared me for this moment." He spoke, confidence radiating from his voice. "Compared to the high speed machine from before, this should be a piece of cake." He was happy to finally be rid of that awful conversation. He knew it was coming back eventually—after all, he did want answers—but he was glad to spend a time so enjoyable with you, even if it was as childish as a race.

"You underestimate the power of the Resistance, YoRHa!" You shouted, digging your heels into the ground. Before 9S could even register what you were doing, you took off, already far in front of him.

"Hold on, that's not fair!" He called out after you, before breaking out into a dash of his own.

* * *

"You used your pod! That's not fair." You panted, legs bent and hands resting on knees. You had made it to the Amusement Park entrance, only just losing to 9S. He was out of breath as well, but not nearly as much as you. Although you had sprinted ahead of him, he had beaten you.

"Hey, who was the one who got a head start? Besides, of course I'm going to use my pod to jump off of buildings. The higher you are, the faster you are, after all." He responded, dusting off his shorts. You tilted your head, strands of H/C hair falling in front of your E/C optics.

"Is that true?" You queried, doubting whether or not his theory was actually factual.

"I guess so. I won because I was jumping from building to building, didn't I?" He responded, looking up and around the entrance area. Due to his lead in the city ruins, he was way ahead of you going through the underground path, too.

"Yeah, true... But if I had a pod of my own, I definitely would have won." You retorted, hands on your hips. 9S scratched his left cheek nervously, letting out a small chuckle as he did so.

"I don't doubt that. You have pretty amazing legs for an android not made for combat." He complimented, which surprised you. He thought your legs were amazing? He was looking at your legs? Does he have a thing for legs? All these questions swirled around in your head, but you decided to ignore them, just to spare your best friend the embarrassment.

"I could say the same about you." You spoke, taking a seat on a gargantuan tree root. You wanted to change the topic, not taking the compliment well. "Anyway, what did you want to know, again? I forgot."

"Oh, right! I have some serious doubts about your answer before, Y/N." He brought up, taking a seat next to you. You noticed that he didn't sit too close to you, nor too far. You pondered just why the awkward distance existed, but you decided not to bring it up.

"Yeah? What's up?" You asked, scooting a bit closer towards him. 9S' body instantly tensed, and he looked down at his palms. Once again, his behaviour was suspicious. You didn't like the distant 9S that was starting to become more and more common around you.

"We... we had something, didn't we?" He asked, voice plagued with nervousness. You could feel your cheeks heat up at the comment, but luckily for you 9S refused to look at your face.

"Had what, Nines?" You queried, trying to get him to spill the beans. Honestly, you knew what he meant, but you wanted to hear him say it himself.

"We were in a relationship, right? Like, a human one. Something beyond just friends." He replied without hesitation, which surprised himself as much as it did you. You weren't feeling comfortable in the situation you had put yourself into, and you began to wonder if you should just drop it. Maybe some friendly teasing could help out the uneasiness you were feeling.

"Yeah, I'd say we're best friends." You spoke smugly, making 9S ruffle his hair in frustration.

"No, Y/N!" He groaned, finally gathering the courage to look at you. You wore a neutral expression now, hiding your inner butterflies skilfully. The scanner instantly began to doubt the feelings he harboured; the same feelings all of his previous bodies felt towards you. He thought that you had been in a relationship, and that was why he felt that way about you. Was he wrong? "Wait, so, we really weren't anything? We're just... best friends?"

"Well, what's your heart telling you?" You asked, voice calm.

"We don't have hearts." 9S replied, matter-of-factly.

"Your _soul_ , then. Whatever, you know what I mean." You clarified, leaning towards him. He leaned back, away from you, flustered and confused. "What is your mind saying to you, Nines? And I don't mean your memories."

"My... my feelings?" The dark-clothed boy let out an awkward chuckle, before clasping his hands in front of him. You nodded in response, prompting him to continue. "Emotions are prohibited, Y/N—"

"2B isn't here, Nines. You can drop the emotionless act. Not that you're very good at hiding what you feel, anyway." You giggled, making 9S sigh. "C'mon, I'm curious! You know what it's like to have a burning question unanswered, don't you?" You yourself had several, as did he. But he refused to embarrass himself any longer.

"Listen, if we weren't together, it doesn't mean anything. Forget I ever asked." He spoke, standing up from his place beside you. Before he could walk any further away, you grabbed his wrist, pulling him back towards you. He looked at you, confused. He just wished he could remember everything about you.

"I...I might reciprocate those feelings of yours, Nines." You spoke up, turning your face away from his hidden stare. "U-unless if its hatred, or something like that. I definitely don't hate you."

"That's a stupid assumption. Why would I hate you?"

"Proposal: Finish up quickly before 2B and other members of YoRHa and the Resistance track your black box signal. Extended absence from prior resting place will raise concern and suspicion." Pod 153 piped up from behind 9S, catching both of you by surprise. It had been so silent, you completely forgot it was there.

"Listen to her, Nines. We gotta hurry before 2B gets worried. Maybe if you're lucky enough, you'll get a rant from 21O?" You teased, getting up and letting go of his wrist.

"I have romantic feelings towards you, Y/N." 9S finally confessed, catching you by surprise. You weren't actually expecting him to come clean. You froze for a moment, before letting out a little giggle, thinking this was all too good to be possible. It took you a few moments to realise that this wasn't a joke.

"Wait, you're serious?" You choked, and he nodded in response. "Since when?"

"It's the only thing I can remember about the both of us," 9S started, looking down at the ground, "we were deep in the desert housing district, and 2B was there with us. You were hunting for machine cores. 2B and I didn't think it was right for you to be doing something so dangerous, so we tagged along. Once I saw how strong you really were, taking on waves and waves of machines by yourself, I think that's when it started." You felt heat crawling up your face, and you quickly pulled your Resistance hood up to hide it. You weren't that outstanding—it was mostly small machines you dealt with on that day, and it was an area that was impossible for anyone to get cornered in. Naturally, you would win.

"You... like me because I'm strong?" You pressed, unsure about whether that was a good thing or not. 9S shook his head, and looked up at you.

"No, because you're dedicated. Because you do things no one else wants to do. Because you're courageous, but you're modest. Because you're kind, but you're stubborn. Because you help whoever you can, even when it would put your own life in danger. I... I think it's because you care." 9S spoke, face gradually growing redder with every reason.

"Oh, so not because I'm good looking or anything like that?" You giggled, only flustering the scanner more.

"N-no, you're attractive, too." He sputtered, before registering what he had just said. He looked away again, all signs of a blush vanishing from his face. "But you like someone else, don't you? Which is completely fine. I wouldn't like someone like me, either..." he nervously chuckled, awkwardly scratching his cheek.

"I like you, too, Nines." You confessed, reaching forward to grab his hands with both of yours. You heard him gulp, and you shared his nervousness. It was quiet for a moment, the two of you staring at each other in disbelief. Your grip on his hands only tightened with every passing moment as you thought of something to say, but nothing came to mind. You were brought back to reality when 9S cleared his throat, and his own grip tightened.

"Does this mean we're in a relationship, now?" He asked, voice quiet and timid. You nodded, a small smile painting your lips.

"Yeah, I think so." You responded, standing up from the tree root to be on his level. Even now, neither of you could believe this was actually happening. You, most of all. There were so many beautiful androids in YoRHa, like his operator and his partner. Yet still, he chose you. You didn't consider yourself to be anything better than 21O, 2B or any other YoRHa unit, but 9S thought differently. To him, you were the most beautiful android to ever exist—both inside, and out.

"Is it... is it ok if I hug you?" 9S asked, loosening his grip on you as you did the same.

"Of course. You know you don't have to ask, right?" You giggled, before being enveloped by his tight embrace. At first you thought your lungs were going to be crushed, but as soon as he felt you struggle underneath his touch, he eventually relaxed. You hugged him back, resting your head on his shoulder as he did the same. You were thankful he was shorter than most; there was no awkward height difference between the two of you. It was comfortable. _Warm_.

You knew this war wasn't going to end soon. But as long as you had 9S by your side, you could at least go through it with a smile on your face.


End file.
